An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole - 43

An Arcane Inheritance is your adult debut. Why did you want to tell this story for an adult audience?

I’ve always planned to be a hybrid author who writes for both the young adult and adult age categories, but An Arcane Inheritance came to me fully formed as an adult book. I knew I wanted to talk about someone who started college “late” as a means of grappling with how behind I felt on African-American history my entire life, and thus Ellory would be in her early twenties. I also knew that this would be less of a coming-of-age story and more of a grappling-with-a-past-much-larger-than-you story. For that, I needed a level of maturity that some of my more impulsive teen characters lack, but not so much maturity that they wouldn’t be a little reckless. An Arcane Inheritance best fits in that new-adult college-set age, but it’s definitely more for adults who have already struggled with much of what Ellory is struggling with than it is for children with college ahead of them.

Like you, Ellory is a first-generation Jamaican immigrant. What else do the two of you have in common?

That’s really about it! Like me, Ellory wanted to major in journalism, but unlike me, she’s instead majoring in political science out of a sense of obligation toward the sacrifices made on her behalf. I wrote her as being from Jamaica, because that was easiest and that’s what I know, but she was her own character from the start. I can’t say I’d do even half of the things she does in the book!

How did you go about crafting Hudson Graves as your male lead?

I love the academic rivals-to-lovers trope in general and especially in dark academia, so I really wanted to make him Ellory’s intellectual equal. She is humble and playful; he is arrogant and cutting. She is hardworking and unlucky; he is privileged and wealthy. I wanted someone who would challenge her without belittling her, who respected her even when he condescended to her. And, on the other hand, there is an entire world of thought and emotion inside of Hudson that only Ellory is capable of teasing out.

Why did you choose the name Warren for the fictional university?

Without too many spoilers, a key part of the school’s history is that it was founded by members of the New England Society for Psychic Research, founded by Ed and Lorraine Warren of The Conjuring fame. There’s even a deleted scene where Ellory goes to the museum they used to have! However, I also chose the name Warren because of one of the meanings of the word: “a maze of passageways or small rooms.” My protagonists certainly explore several mazes of passageways and small rooms.

Despite taking place in our world, queerness is treated as casually mundane. Why did you make that narrative choice?

Whether writing a contemporary fantasy or a high fantasy, I like to write queernormative worlds. There are so many incredible authors who tackle the issues and discrimination facing the queer community head-on, and I highly suggest checking out those books, too, for a comprehensive and well-rounded reading experience. But queernormative worlds are what I prefer to write for my own healing journey.

Were any of the events in the book based on your real college experience?

Almost everything that was said to Ellory during the salon—you know the one—was said to me at some point during my four years at college. I also very much learned about American culture from media, though for me it was older stuff like Looney Tunes , The Brady Bunch , and I Love Lucy.

Was there any media that helped inspire this book?

Eventually, I will discuss at length how this story was largely shaped by a Riverdale fanfiction that I imprinted on, but today is not that day. I would say that this book is perfect for fans of The Conjuring , due to the Ed and Lorraine Warren connection; Inception , due to the constant questioning of reality; and Beyoncé’s Renaissance album.